This invention relates generally to a mechanism for transferring fluid from a stationary member to an oscillating member. More particularly, this invention has particular application in the transfer of cooling fluid from a stationary member to an oscillating scoop of a gob distributor mechanism used to distribute gobs of glass from a feeder to the delivery troughs of a glassware forming machine.
In U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,759 there is described a molten glass gob distribution system which utilizes a single scoop for each gob being formed at the feeder bowl for distributing the gobs to a plurality of fixed troughs arranged in groups. Each group of troughs is associated with one particular section of a glassware forming machine of the I.S. type and each trough of each group is associated with a particular mould of that particular section of the glassware forming machine. The scoops serve to sequentially distribute the groups of glass gobs as they are formed at the outlet spout of the feeder bowl into the fixed troughs associated with the glassware forming machine.
The scoops are adapted for continuous use in feeding glass gobs to a plurality of troughs for the entire glassware forming machine. As a result of this continuous use, it has been found desirable that the individual scoops be cooled to prevent undue heat build-up caused by the continuous contact therewith of the hot gobs of glass. The above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. Re. 28,759 discloses two methods of accomplishing the cooling of the scoops. According to one method, cooling fluid such as water is introduced into an annular passageway in the housing and then through a collar on which the annular gear is defined into an spirally shaped groove in the inner portion of the tubular funnel and downwardly and outwardly through a vertical passageway into an aligned passageway defined in the arcuate scoop portion.
Another method of cooling the scoops is also shown in the above mentioned Reissue Patent which includes feeding the cooling fluid such as water from a source directly to the scoop through an inlet port downwardly through an internal passageway on one side of the scoop and then upwardly through a passageway on the opposite side of the scoop to an outlet port.
In connection with the first cooling arrangement discussed above, the flow of cooling fluid through the upper portion of the gob distributor assembly through the spiral passageway into a passageway in the scoop required extensive machining of the components of the upper portion and also resulted in a tendency for the cooling fluid to have a detrimental effect upon the bearings used to rotatably the support the collar member and gear. With regard to the second arrangement the inlet and outlet ports of the scoop were connected to a source of cooling fluid by means of flexible lines. However, it has been found that as the speed of oscillation of the scoops has increased, such flexible connections tend to begin to deteriorate through usage.